Waste disposal apparatus



Aug. 28, 1951 J. H. "POWERS WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1949 B Inventor James l-LPower's,

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Patented Aug. 28, 1951 WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS James H. Powers, Westport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 6, 1949, Serial No. 103,284

Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 640,913, filed January 12, 1946 now Patent No. 2,482,125.

The present invention relates to apparatus for the disposal of waste material, and particularly to apparatus for attachment to a sink drain for receiving a mixture of garbage and water and reducing or comminuting the solid particles to produce a flowable mixture suitable for discharge tothe sink drain line.

Waste comminuting apparatus, to which this invention is directed, includes main grinding means suitable for reducing solid particles of waste to a flowable state. The apparatus includes, of course, a suitable strainer preventing.

large particles from passing through the device to avoid clogging or plugging of the sink drain line. I find, however, that strainers employed permit long stringy material to pass into the sink drain line without being thoroughly cut or comminuted into short lengths.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide auxiliary shredding members particularly adapted to clip off any long stringy material into short lengths.

A further object of my invention is to arrange an auxiliary shredder or comminuting device so that it is economically replaceable when it is worn to the extent that it is no longer effective.

Still another object of. my invention is to provide auxiliary shredding means permitting closer operating tolerances while at the same time resulting in freedom from jamming.

A still further object of my invention .is to provide improved comminuting apparatus with an auxiliary shedding device economically manufactured.

In accomplishment of the foregoing objectives, a feature of my invention consists in attaching a cutter to the moving element of the waste disposal apparatus which sweeps, with a close tolerance, the discharge ends of straining grooves within the device. Another feature of my invention consists in the use of a replaceable cutter bar or a plurality of such bars for this auxiliary shredding, and mounting such bars to permit their movement with respect to the stationary portion of the apparatus.

The features of my invention which I believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. in which-Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a waste disposal device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a flywheel; Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, partially in section, to more clearly illustrate a detail; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified form of my invention; Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detailed views of a further modification of my invention; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the cutter bar shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a waste disposal device having a frusto conical casing or chamber I fixed to and depending from a drain opening 2 of a sink 3. At the lower end of the casing is a bottom flange I carrying an electric motor 5 clamped against a shoulder 6 in the casing by a clamping ring I. The bottom flange is provided with an outlet 8' for connection with the sink drain line. The bottom flange is enclosed by a removable shield 9 depending from the casing and blending into the motor. In the lower end of the casing is a frustoconical wall III which defines a main shredding chamber ll. Wall I0 is clamped between a shoulder l2 on the bottom flange and a shoulder l3 on the casing. Rubber rings l4 and [5 arranged between the shredding chamber wall and the shoulders prevent the transmission of vibration and reduce noise. At the lower end ofthe shredding chamber is a flywheel l6 threaded on the motor shaft H on the upper side of which is a replaceable disk I 8 of wear-resisting material clamped against circumferentialiy spaced radially-extending ribs l9 and 20 on the upper surface of the flywheel. Any suitable fastening devices, such as for example screws, may be employed to fix disk I8 to the flywheel. The ribs I9, which are much wider than the ribs 20, are provided with radial recesses 2lfor receiving pairs of ears 22 depending from the lower side of disk I 8. Each pair of ears 22 defines a slot 23 for receiving an impeller blade 24 pivoted on pin 25 extending between the cars 22. The ends of pins 25 are positioned in holes in cars 22. These impeller blades are biased toward the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1 and are moved outwardly by centrifugal force to the full-line position when the flywheel is rotated. The outward movement of the impeller blades is limited by stop lugs 28 on the blades 24 which engage the under side of the disk It as shown by Fig. 1. In the outer position the impeller blades are in shearing co-operation with toothed shredding members 21 fastened in recesses in the lower end of shredding chamber wall l0.

Three shredding members are provided uniformly spaced around the shredding chamber which otherwise has a smooth inner surface. Obviously different numbers of shredding members may be employed in' this construction.

Referring to Fig. 2, it is seen that impeller blades 24 are positioned on radii of the flywheel so that they are at right angles to wall It) and pass the shredding members 2? at right angles thereto. In operation, the impeller blades cause a mixture of water and garbage to be whirled around the shredding chamber at a speed such that the solid particles are moved outward by centrifugal force and reduced or comminuted by being tumbled against the teeth or serrations of the shredding members. There is also a further comminuting action resulting from g the shearing action between the impeller blades and the shredding members. Since the impeller blades are freely pivoted, the possibility of jamming is reduced. Due to the centrifugal action, the whirling mixture of garbage and water is in the form of an annulus adjacent the side walls of the shredding chamber and having its upper end extending into the upper part of the casing. Water and garbage falling on the center of the flywheel are quickly moved outward by centrifugal force, and the movement across the upper surface of the disk has a scouring action which keeps this surface clean. To prevent jamming of solid material between the impeller blades and the shredding projections, the outer edges 28 of the impeller blades are provided with abevel 29 flaring inwardly away from the shredding elements. When solid material is caught between the shredding elements and the bevel 29, a force is developed tending to pivot the impeller blades inward and relieve the forces which might otherwise cause jamming. The forward face of each impeller blade, as regards the direction of rotation of flywheel I5, that is the face which engages directly the material being comminuted, is provided with a beveled surface 30 which slopes radially inwardly and backwardly as regards the direction of rotation. When the machine is operating, these beveled surfaces engage material being comminuted and direct it toward the center of the shredding chamber. The deflected material is returned by centrifugal force to the whirling annulus so that a continuous turnover of thesolid material is produced. Also, these beveled surfaces 3| by directing material to be comminuted toward the center of the shredding chamber serve to limit the speed of grinding so that it is not too rapid, the beveled surfaces 30 having an extent such that the desired rapidity of grinding is obtained.

It is important thatthe material being comminuted rotates with the flywheel and to better insure this, I Provide, preferably in the vicinity of the central portion of the flywheel, a plurality of projections or lugs 3| (two being shown in the present instance) which engage such material and help to carry it along with the flywheel. Projections 3| are located radially inward with respect to impeller blades 24 thus supplementing the action of blades 24. In other words, projections 3| act on material which is out of the path of travel of blades 24 at the start of rotation or operation. Projections 3| are provided with a generally outwardly tapered shape so that they are somewhat pointed. This shape is of advantage in that soft material is readily penetrated to cause it to move with the flywheel. When the machine is started, impeller blades 2| are quickly thrown outward by centrifugal force so they are not in position to engage directly waste material in the vicinity of the central portion of the flywheel. The projections 3!, which may be termed secondary impeller lugs, engage such waste material to start it into rotation so it will be thrown out by centrifugal force to contact impeller blades 24. Thus the projections 3| cooperate with blades 24 to insure that the waste material at the central portion of the flywheel is put into rotation, a thing which in instances, especially if the machine is well packed with soft waste material, might not take place were projections 3| not present.

In the side wall I!) of the shredding chamber at its lower end are a series of straining grooves 32, the upper ends of which communicate with the shredding chamber and the lower ends of which discharge into an annular receiving chamber 33 connected to the outlet 8. Grooves 32 limit the cross section of the particles discharged from the shredding chamber into the receiving chamber. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the ears 22 depending from the underside of disk l8 are within the annular receiving chamber 33. Thus as the flywheel is rotated, these ears act as a centrifugal pump to force the flowable mixture of comminuted garbage and water from the receiving chamber 33 to the outlet 8.

Since during operation, the mixture of garbage and water is in the form of an annulus adjacent 'the side walls of the shredding chamber, any solid material remaining in the shredding chamber when the motor is stopped will settle onto the flywheel adjacent the straining groove and may sufl'iciently block grooves 32 so that normal sink drainage does not flow through the shredding chamber to the drain line. 7 While the normal sink drainage might seep through in time, this is objectionable since the fluid capacity of the casing is much less than the capacity of the sink. In the present construction, this disadvantage is overcome by straining openings 3 in disk 18 intermediate the ribs I9 and 20 on the flywheel. These straining openings are radially inward of the whirling annulus of water and garbage during the use of the apparatus and accordingly are not blocked by solid material remaining in the shredding chamber when the motor is stopped. Since the spacev between the outer ends of ribs l9 and 20 is open, liquid may pass through these straining openings through the flywheel into the receiving chamber 33. Thus a bypass is provided for the straining grooves 32 to conduct normal sink drainage to outlet 8. Solids and liquids falling on these openings during operation of the apparatus are moved centrifugally outtward across the upper surface of the openings, having a scouring action which tends to keep the openings clean and clear. The straining grooves 32 do not carry the normal sink drainage and can therefore be designed solely for the comminuted mixture of waste material. This permits the use of finer straining grooves than has heretofore been advisable. This construction is described and claimed in my said Patent No.

2,482,125 for Waste Disposal Apparatus and.

assigned to the assignee herein.

In spite of the reduction in size of straining grooves 32, it is still found that certain materials in the garbage are not thoroughly comminuted before dicharge into the drain line. This is particularly true with materials such as corn husks. pods, celery, or other material which may be broken down in the shredding chamber into long strands of fiber or stringy material. Such long aoeaoce stringy material frequently finds its way through.

grooves 32 and hence to the sink drain line. To avoid this difliculty, I provide auxiliary shredding members which serve to clip such stringy material discharged through the straining grooves into short sections. Referring to Fig. 3, which is a partial cross section through the shredding chamber and flywheel with one of the impellers removed, it may be noted that material within the shredding chamber may pass through straining groove 32 adjacent the periphery of disk ii. In one form of my invention I include a shearing lug or lip 35 projecting radially outward from disk l8 to sweep, with a close tolerance, the discharge openings from grooves 32.

. Thus any long stringy material which finds its way through grooves 32 will be clipped oil into 'short sections by this auxiliary cutting lip or lug 35. This auxiliary cutter is shown in Fig. 2'

as a projecting cutting lipadjaeent the impeller blade.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of an auxiliary shredding device. In this example of my invention I make use of separable cutter bars 3!, each having on its outer end a shearing portion '31 which sweeps the discharge openings from straining grooves 32. Cutter bars 36 are held in position between the upper surface of flywheel l6 and the lower surface of disk l8 by screw threaded members 33. This construct on offers the additional advantage of low cost replacement of the auxiliary shredding or cutting portion 31 when it is worn out. As an example of this form of my invention, I have shown in Fig. 2 a pair of auxiliary cutters mounted diametrically opposite on the flywheel and in quadrature to impeller blade 24. Since bars 36 are subjected to large centrifugal force during operation due to the high rotary speedof the flywheel, I find it preferable to include a T-shapedhead 39 on the radially inward end of each bar receivable in an appropriate recess in the upper side of the flywheel.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6, and 7, a further modification of my invention is shown. In accordance with this form, a separable cutter blade 40 having a T-shaped head 4| and a sharp cutting edge 42 is mounted on the upper surface of flywheel IE to project radially outward therefromand below the upper surface of disk IS. The performance of the cutter blade is improved by forming the cutting end with the sharp edge 42 and a rearwardly sloping or rake surface 42a as shown in perspective by Fig. 7. The T-shaped head 4| is provided with a circular cross section to permit a pivoting action of the cutter blade with respect .to the flywheel. In operation, it is found that there is some tendency for the auxiliary cutter to jam or bind with the larger particles discharged through the straining grooves. With this construction, any unusual stresses developed by such a jamming action are readily relieved since cutter bar 40 may pivot downwardly about its T-shaped head to increase the clearance of the cutting edge 40 with the straining groove discharge. During operation, cutter bar 40 will normally be in the horizontal position shown in Fig. due to the centrifugal force developed by rotation. However, in addition to relying upon centrifugal force to maintain cutter bar 40 in its proper position, I find it preferable to employ a resilient means to bias bar 40 in its horizontal position against the under surface of disk l8. In this embodiment. I have shown such a resilient means as a pin 43 of rubber, neoprene, or similar material. Resilient pin 43 rests in a prepared recess 44 in the upper surface of flywheel It so that at all times cutter bar 40 is biased to its proper horizontal position. However, in case of any unusual stresses developed, the inherent resiliency of pin 43 permits the cutter bar 40 to pivot downwardly increasing the clearance between the cutting edge 42 and the straining groove discharge. During normal operation, of course, the cutting edge 42 will sweep with a shearing action the discharge from grooves 32 to clip off into short lengths any long stringy.

material and to further comminute particles being discharged into the receiving chamber 33.

While in Fig. 2 I have shown a combination of a pair of cutting lips 35 formed integrally with the disk I8 and in addition separable cutter bars 31 projecting radially outward from the flywheel and disk, it is obvious that either of these means alone may be employed. Also, it is to be understood that a larger number of auxiliary shredding members may be employed.

From the above disclosure it is seen that I have provided secondary or auxiliary comminuting members to further insure that material discharged from the main shredding chamber into the sink drain line is properly comminuted or cut up to a size particle suitable for discharge into the drain system. By employing a separable cutting bar it is possible to make use of highly wear-resistant material and to easily replace this auxiliary shredding means when the cutting edge thereon becomes worn. This construction also permits the main shredding means to be designed for more rapid comminution since the auxiliary cutters may berelied upon to reduce any of the larger particles discharged into a proper size for discharge into the drain. By employing an auxiliary cutter having a pivoted action with a resilient element to maintain it in position, the possibility of jamming and seriously impairing the disposal apparatus is substantially eliminated.

While the present invention has been described by reference to particular embodiments thereof. it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the invention. I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In apparatus for comminuting waste material, main shredding means including a wall defining a shredding chamber, shredding members on the inner surface of said wall, a flywheel positioned at the bottom of the chamber, and impeller blades on the flywheel adjacent its periphery co-operating with said shredding members, straining grooves extending from within said chamber past the periphery of said flywheel into a drain receiving chamber, and auxiliary shredding means comprising a plurality of cutter bars carried by said flywheel and having a limited pivotal action with respect thereto, resilient members maintaining said cutter bars in a normal position, and a shearing portion on each cutter bar extending radially outward from the periphery of said flywheel to sweep the discharge from said straining grooves.

2. In apparatus for comminuting waste material, main shredding means including a wall defining a shredding chamber, shredding members on the inner surface of said wall, a flywheel positioned at the bottom of the chamber, and impeller blades on the flywheel adjacent its periphery co-operating with said shredding members, straining grooves extending from within said chamber past the periphery of said flywheel into a drain receiving chamber, and auxiliary shredding means comprising a cutter bar removably carried by said flywheel and extending radially of said flywheel, a T-head on said bar seated in a corresponding recess in said flywheel, means holding said head in said recess and a shearing portion on said cutter bar extending radially outward from the periphery of said flywheel to sweep the discharge from said straining grooves.

3. In apparatus for comminuting waste material, main shredding means including a wall defining a shredding chamber, shredding members on the inner surface of said wall, a flywheel positioned at the bottom of the chamber, and impeller blades on the flywheel adjacent its periphery cooperating with said shredding members, straining grooves extending from within said chamber past the periphery of said flywheel into a drain receiving chamber, and auxiliary shredding means comprising a cutter bar removably carried by said flywheel andhaving a limited pivotal movement with respect thereto between a normal active position and an inactive position, and a shearing portion on said cutter bar extending radially outward from the periphery of said flywheel to sweep the discharge from said straining grooves when said cutter bar is in normal position.

4. In an apparatus for comminuting waste material, main shredding means including a wall defining a shredding chamber, shredding members on the inner surface of said wall, a flywheel rotatably positioned at the bottom of the chamber, and impeller blades on the flywheel adjacent its periphery co-operating with said shredding members to reduce said waste material in said chamber when said flywheel is rotated, straining grooves extending from within said chamber past the periphery of said flywheel into a drain receiving chamber, and auxiliary shredding means comprising a cutter bar carried by said flywheel and having a limited pivotal movement with respect thereto between an upper active position and a lower inactive position, said bar being urged by centrifugal force toward said upper active position when said flywheel is rotated, and a shearing portion on said cutter bar extending radially outward from the periphery of said flywheel to sweep the discharg from said straining grooves when said flywheel is rotated and said bar is in active position, said bar when in lower inactive position relieving jamming of material which might occur between its shearing portion and said straining grooves.

5. In apparatus for comminuting waste material, main shredding means including a'wall defining a shredding chamber, shredding members on the inner surfaces of said wall, a flywheel positioned at the bottom of the chamber, and impeller blades on the flywheel adjacent is periphery co-operating with said shredding members, straining grooves extending from within said chamber past the periphery of said flywheel into \a drain receiving chamber, and auxiliary shredding means comprising a cutter bar carried by said flywheel and having a limited pivotal movement with respect thereto between an upper active position and a lower inactive position, a resilient pin under said cutter bar biasing said bar toward its upper active position, and a shearin portion on said cutter bar extending radially outward from the periphery of said flywheel to sweep the discharge from said straining grooves when said cutter bar is in active position, said pin being compressible for movement of said bar to lower inactive position whereby jamming of material between the shearing portion and said straining grooves may be relieved.

JAMES H. POWERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,220,729 Powers Nov. 5, 1940 2,322,058 I Powers June 15, 1943 2,442,812 Jordan June 8, 1948 2,482,124 Powers Sept. 20, 1949 2,482,125 Powers Sept. 20, 1949 

